HEALTH CERTIFICATES AND COGGINS
Whether traveling for a show, moving across state lines, relocating to a new facility, or changing ownership, there are often requirements for Coggins testing and health certificates.
Key Points:
- When traveling for to different facilities, interstate or internationally, be sure to check paperwork requirements – they can vary greatly between every facility and state or country
- Plan ahead! Coggins testing may take 5-7 business days to get back, and even rushed bloodwork can take several business days to come back
- Choosing to travel without required paperwork may result in denial of entry at state lines and individual facilities, citations or fines
Coggins Testing
The Coggins Test is a blood test for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA). This blood-borne disease has potentially fatal consequences, and can also chronically infect horses, making them permanently infectious to horses around them. There is no vaccine or treatment for EIA, and horses that harbor EIA must be quarantined away from other horses for their lifetime or euthanized if proper quarantine is not possible. Due to the potential for severe disease and high risk of transmission to other horses from chronically infected horses, this disease is carefully monitored. The current prevalence of EIA in the United States is quite low and continued testing for horses crossing state lines or congregating in large numbers (such as shows, exhibitions, or auctions) helps prevent a resurgence of the disease.
Coggins tests are required for interstate travel, and which state you are traveling to will determine how frequently you will need a current Coggins. Coggins tests are good for either 6 or 12 months, but for some states may only be considered up to date within the same calendar year.
While Coggins tests are routinely run, they can take up to 5-7 business days to receive results. Even rushed bloodwork can still take several business days to get back. If you need a Coggins test for travel, be sure to plan accordingly and give yourself plenty of time to receive results.
Health Certificates
Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) or ‘Health Certificates’ are documents filled out by your veterinarian following an examination of health. Your veterinarian will ensure that they are not observing any signs of clinical disease in your horse at the time of inspection. CVI’s can be required not just for interstate or international travel, but frequently for travel to show facilities. CVI’s are generally valid for 30 days.
All CVI’s require standard information (like shipping destination, hauler information, owner contact information, travel dates, etc.), but certain states or facilities may require additional statements to be included on the paperwork, and some may require negative Coggins information to be included on the CVI. Some may even require an additional import or permit number to be included on the CVI. While your veterinarian may be familiar with certain show grounds or state requirements, it is imperative you communicate with your veterinarian any specific requirements, statements, testing, or permits that need to be included on your horse’s CVI.
CVI and Coggins requirements are always dictated by the state or facility you are going to, and requirements can be found on the website of the show or event, or at the department of agriculture website of the state you are traveling to.
EVA has veterinarians accredited with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to provide Coggins testing and Health Certificates to our clients.
We primarily utilize Global Vet Link, which allows our veterinarians to electronically submit Coggins and CVI information, photos, and test results with faster turnaround to getting documents back to our clients.
